Fizzle
noun, verb, slang ·2 syllables ·Common ·High school level
Definitions
- 1 A spluttering or hissing sound.
- 2 a complete failure wordnet
- 3 Failure of an exploding nuclear bomb to meet its expected yield during testing.
- 4 a fricative sound (especially as an expression of disapproval) wordnet
- 5 An abortive effort; a flop or dud.
Show 1 more definition
- 6 A state of agitation or worry.
- 1 To sputter or hiss.
"The soda fizzled for several minutes after it was poured."
- 2 end weakly wordnet
- 3 To decay or die off to nothing; to burn out; to end less successfully than previously hoped. figuratively, informal
"The entire project fizzled after the founder quit."
- 4 To fail to generate the expected yield when exploded during testing.
"The shot fizzled, generating only 200 tons rather than the 30 kilotons they were aiming for."
Example
More examples"In a drizzle, a fire will fizzle."
Etymology
Attested in English since 1525-35. From earlier fysel (“to fart”). Related to fīsa (“to fart”). Compare with Swedish fisa (“to fart (silently)”). See also feist. It could also come from old Norse: "fise" simply means "blow," like in "blow in the wind." A weather-exposed community in Rogaland, Norway, is called Fister. (In modern language, the verb "fisle" has the same 3 meanings as in English, see below.)
Related phrases
More for "fizzle"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.